Prime minister approves plan to fight COVID-19 spread in Ukraine

“A meeting of the operational headquarters on preventing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Ukraine was held. Following the meeting, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal approved a new enhanced plan for anti-crisis preventive measures to fight the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus and instructed ministers and heads of central executive agencies to take a number of measures,” reads the statement.

According the approved plan, heads of the relevant agencies have to review the reserves of the state reserve for the provision of means of individual protection in view of a three-month need, and by March 11 to determine the amount of funds needed to replenish the state reserve.

Also, the prime minister instructed to provide information about domestic producers of personnel protective equipment (PPE) and to find out whether they can meet the demand of the population and medical institutions for PPE. The chairman of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine was instructed to ensure implementation of the law on economic competition and protect the rights of patients during retail trade in PPE.

It notes that the Health Ministry and the Finance Ministry by March 11 have to submit proposals on increasing the funding for the purchase by the Health Ministry’s laboratory centers of medical supplies, personal protective equipment and diagnostic materials, as well as coronavirus test systems.

The prime minister also ordered checks of all travelers arriving to Ukraine and people arriving through checkpoints of entry and exit from the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and Crimea, as well as presence of intensive care ambulances and medical vehicle at the checkpoints.

As Ukrinform reported, Ukraine confirmed the first Covid-2019 case on March 3. The infection was found in a man from Chernivtsi who returned from Italy with his wife. The man was hospitalized in an infectious ward.

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